Desolate
by GrapplingHook
Summary: After treating the twins to falsified bedtime story Stan takes the opportunity to relax on a Saturday night. However, when warnings of a tornado and an incoming storm blare through the television, he thinks nothing of it. Well, he was right to do so. Something else, something strange and silent occurred overnight, and it will give Stan nightmares for the rest of his life. One-Shot.


Silence sweeps the starlit streets of Gravity Falls as storm clouds roll overhead on a quiet Saturday evening. Birds peep softly as they prepare their nests for slumber, crickets chirp, and cicadas sing, alerting the bullfrogs by the lake that it's time to wake up. Two police officers sit in a diner with a lazy-eyed waitress, talking the night away while occasionally sipping from brown-stained coffee mugs. A spoiled blonde-haired girl sits next to an extravagant fireplace whilst complaining to her parents about she doesn't have enough clothes. A husky adult and his brittle wife enjoy the bitter silence in their childless home while holding each other close, knowing they won't be interrupted. And a gruff old man tucks his grand-niece and nephew into bed, while enthralling the twins in a brief story on how he punched the president in the face and got away with it. It seemed to be a normal night for the residents of this quaint and mysterious town. However, the forecast didn't call for rain, and little do the residents of this sleepy town know, these clouds are going to change one of their lives forever.

* * *

"So there I was." Grunkle Stan said, continuing with his story after he finished tucking in a restless Mabel. "Caught between a guard, a trip mine, and a yeti, with my hand wrist deep inside a tin of pumpkin pie. The guard was shouting profanities and the beast had started showering itself in the first lady's chili..."

"Grunkle Stan, there's no way any of this happened." Dipper interjected scornfully.

"How much do you wanna bet kid?" Grunkle Stan responded back slyly with an annoyed look across his face.

The two guys looked over at Mabel and noticed that the pre-teen was fast asleep, she had worn herself out to the point of exhaustion from her fun filled day of roller skating, eating copious amounts of snow-cones, and running around the shack with all that sugar coursing through her veins. Knowing that they shouldn't argue while Mabel was asleep, Grunkle Stan squinted at Dipper as he got up and walked towards the door. Dipper returned the half-playful glare, until Grunkle Stan turned around and smiled. Leaving Dipper alone in his bed as the door to the attic creaked shut. Dipper laid down and rest his head on his soft pillow, closing his eyes in an attempt to sleep.

Grunkle Stan quietly walked down the steps to the living room, where Waddles had decided to hop on the couch. "What do you think you're doing pig?" Grunkle Stan asked rhetorically. "You're not allowed on my couch unless I say so." He scolded. Waddles perked up from his curled position and oinked back at Stan before jumping down and resting on the floor. "Smart pig." Stan chuckled before sitting down on the couch and patting the seat next to him to show the barnyard creature he could jump back up. Waddles oinked happily and plopped down next to Stan, resting his head on Mr. Mystery's leg.

Stan couldn't help but smirk as he rubbed behind the pig's ear with his left hand while reaching for the remote with the other. Grunkle Stan yawned and flicked on the television, the static echoing throughout the silent halls of the shack as the picture came into focus. The low volume seemed like screaming to Stan's silent adjusted ears as two people faced off in an eating competition to see who could swallow the most jawbreakers... whole. Clearly not interested in this contest, Stan extended his arm and changed the channel as he begun to surf through the flickering rays of light that projected onto the walls of the living room.

After skipping through twenty channels, Stan gave up hope and settled on an old black and white film from before his childhood. As the minutes on the clock flew by, Stan's eyelids became heavier to the point where they had closed and he was snoring. However, about ten minutes into the peaceful slumber of this older con-artist, a loud buzzing sound blared from the television, waking Grunkle Stan up in an instantaneous frenzy. There was a flashing white light outside that appeared to be that of lighting, except much brighter and whiter. The buzzing sound continued on the television as a red bar scrolled across an all black screen with white text. Then, a man's deep voice, that almost sounded like that of a robot blared through the speakers and into Stan's ears.

"This is the Oregon state emergency broadcasting system. We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to report an official statement from the National Weather Service." The deep voice said before a blaring screech, like that of nails on a chalkboard rang through Stan's ears.

Then, a ladies' voice, scratchy and deep, came through the speakers in a quick change of pace. "The National Weather Service is issuing a tornado warning for the entire state of Oregon as well as southern Washington counties. This warning will be in effect from 11 PM Saturday until 9 AM Sunday. The National Weather Service has also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the entire state or Oregon as well as Northern California counties. This warning will be in effect from 10 PM Saturday until 11 AM Sunday. Please take the proper precautions to remain safe during this spontaneous storm." There was a loud beep, before the end of the movie flicked back on the television, sending the room into a calm silence.

Grunkle Stan worriedly looked outside, ignoring the scrolling credits on the screen as Waddles poked his head up. He didn't see any funnel clouds, but the lightning would still flash every twenty seconds before being followed by a large clap of booming thunder that frightened Waddles.

The walls of the living room started to creek and moan, which was beginning to frighten Stan just a little in the darkened room. There was a loud bang, and then a high pitched ringing that pierced through his ears, sending him to the ground in agony as he clutched onto the sides of his skull. Waddles could only watch with a cocked head, as he didn't understand what was going on and was luckily not being affected by whatever was going on.

Stan grit his teeth and stood up, trying to fight the pain that was rupturing into his brain, causing all of his joints, muscles, and bones to pound and thump with his racing heart. He wasn't sure how much longer he would have to endure this pain, but in his heart, he needed to make sure Dipper and Mabel weren't suffering the same fate. With one hand on his head, Stan pushed himself along the walls, slowly making his way to the stairs using whatever strength he could. There was another loud bang that physically shook the Mystery Shack, sending Stan backwards and off the first step.

Then silence.

The ringing and throbbing quickly subsided. Once Stanford Pines snapped back into reality he hurried to his feet and rushed up the steps. It was almost as if the ringing and pounding in his body had never happened, because now he felt refreshed and energized. Quickly making his way over to the attic door, Stan pushed through and tried to flick on the lights but quickly found that the bulbs had fallen out of the sockets and were lying broken on the floor. Stan could make out the shape of each twin snuggled beneath a plethora of sheets. The sight of the twins resting, safe and sound, soothed Stan's worries. Relaxing his muscles, Stan crept up to the shattered light bulb and carefully picked up the large fragments he could find.

After a few minutes of searching around with his fingertips on the hardwood floors, Stan stood up and tiptoed out of the room, gently closing the door behind him. Quietly walking back down the steps, Stan pondered what might have happened to him back in the living room. "Was I dreaming?" He said aloud to himself… "No… it felt too real…" A yawn echoed from Stan's mouth as he dumped the shards of glass into a garbage can. "Eh, I'll figure it out in the morning."

With that, Stan lounged to his room where he would sleep silently for the rest of the night. Before he knew it, his alarm was ringing and the clock had struck a minute past eight. Sitting up, Stan outstretched his arm to shut his alarm clock off. Then, swinging himself out of bed, Mr. Mystery cracked his back, and stretched his limbs to loosen up his achy muscles and bones.

"Kids, get up. These people aren't going to scam themselves!" Stan yelled from his bedroom as he walked out the door with his hands cupped around his mouth. Only silence followed in return. Since it was around eight Stan figured the kids might be out on an early morning adventure, frolicking in the woods, going on some spiel on how fairies and the nonsense existed in the ominous forest around the shack. Stan chuckled to himself as he reached the kitchen. "Ha, bigfoot."

Pouring himself a cup of pre-made coffee, Stan sat down at the table with yesterday's paper and began to flip through the pointless articles written by the Gravity Falls Gossiper's only employee. As Stan reached towards his steaming mug there was an oink that slightly startled him, causing him to drop the mug, spilling coffee all over the kitchen table. The dark liquid dripped onto the floor while the bold aroma of cheap beans filled the air. "Bad pig!" Stan scolded, jumping back from his chair before the coffee reached his boxers, potentially scolding his skin with first degree burns.

"That was my last pot too." Stan sighed to the pig as he began to wipe up the mess with a nearby cloth, soaking up as much of the fluid as possible. "You know I can't function in the morning without a cup of joe." He said with a more soft-spoken tone. Waddles covered his eyes with his ears and rubbed up against Stan's calf, showing his sorrow and regret.

Placing the dripping rag into the sink, Stan rinsed his hands and dried them on his white muscle shirt. "Well, at least you know how to apologize. I'll give you that much." Stan walked towards the counter and grabbed the keys to the 'El Diablo. "I'm going to get some more coffee at the store. Watch the place, will ya'?" Waddles squealed joyfully in response and ran out of the room gleefully. Slowly shaking his head, Stan left the shack, hopped in his car, and drove down Gopher Road to the center of town where the store was located.

Everything looked fine on this beautiful sunny day in Gravity Falls. The sun was shining, a warm breeze was flowing through the open windows of the car, and the critters and creatures were stirring peacefully at the edge of the forest. It was almost like there were no interruptions on this gorgeous day, no cars, no loud townspeople, only the sweet serenity of silence. Stan stared out the window and lost focus of everything but the peaceful nature that surrounded the sides of the street.

Then, Stan felt a bump underneath his tire, causing him to lose control of his car. As the red El' Diablo spun on the road, Stan snapped back to reality and slammed on the brakes, causing the car to slam to a sudden stop. Plumes of smoke began to rise from underneath the hood of the car, as Stan took a deep breath. Peaking a look at the rear-view mirror, Stan's pupils grew tremendously, and a ghostly look fell upon his face. Lying in the street was a body. The body of a human being.

Stan could only grip the steering wheel tighter as the skin on his knuckles grew as white as his face. He was speechless, startled, and scared. Tears came to his eyes as the realization that he killed another human being sank in, and he slammed his fist into the center of the wheel, consequently sounding the horn of the car and setting off the airbag. As the car horn echoed in the woods and throughout the empty streets of the town in front of him, crows flocked from the woods, startled from the loud noise that disturbed their squawking back and forth. Stan pushed the airbag away from his face and opened the door, slowly crawling out, afraid to look again at the human body twenty yards behind him.

Clenching his eyes Stan walked forward towards the body, praying that whomever he hit may still be alive. When he was about five feet away from the body, Stan slowly opened his eyes, immediately taking in a bloodless scene.

"What the-"

Lying on the ground in front of him was a broken plastic doll, a manikin, that replicated the local coot of Gravity Falls, Old Man McGucket. Stan bent down and picked up a shattered piece of the look-alike's face. In Stan's hand was half of McGucket's face. An eye stared back at him as Stan examined a white beard and bandage that went along with this shattered piece of plastic. Everything about this manikin was a direct copy from Old Man McGucket, and the similarities sent a chill down Stanford Pine's spine.

Then, Stan turned around. Out of complete and utter shock he dropped the broken piece of face on the ground, causing it to shatter into thirteen pieces. In front of Stanford Pines was the town center, along with his wrecked car. But it wasn't the buildings, or parked cars, or ringing church bells that shook him to his core. No, it was the manikin replicas of everyone in town. From Lazy Susan to Toby Determined to Bud Gleeful, their replicas stood in the street, all facing towards Stan and the broken McGucket marionette behind him. They didn't move, they didn't talk, and they didn't blink.

They only watched.

Stan slowly backed away, carefully stepping over the broken head of the McGucket manikin, before turning around and sprinting. He ran as far and as fast as his brittle bones would take him; up hills, over cracks in the roads, and through small puddles left from the previous night's rainfall. He didn't, couldn't, stop for any breathers. Something was terribly wrong, it gave him the chills as he ran, causing him to shake in his slippers as he ran up the rocky driveway of the Mystery Shack with sweat beating down his chin, staining and soaking his entire white shirt.

Stan burst through the doors of the shack and paid no mind to lock it behind him. Tears flowing down his face, exhausted from his mile long run, Stan panted as he climbed the steps, the mountain of peril, to the attic. He opened the door and fell to his knees at the nightmare in front of him. Dipper and Mabel manikins stood before him. Smiling at him with devil-like grins, dressed in their normal clothes, their hands extended out as if they were waving goodbye.

"Nooo!" Stan shouted as he turned around to run downstairs, unsure of his next move, other than it definitely involving a gun. However, standing in the doorway were the Toby Determined and Bud Gleeful manikins, smiling evilly, haunting Stan's vision. Stan pushed through but felt his shirt get caught in something. As he turned around, he was frightened to see Dipper's hand on his white shirt.

Then, he let go.

Stan fell down the stairs and landed on a sharp wooden plank that had been placed on the bottom step. The wooden shard pierced through his stomach, and ripped through both sides of his body. Thus sending a pool of blood out of his mouth as he coughed up blood, unable to move from the spike that was protruding out of his belly. Blood dripped from his gut as he coughed again, splattering more blood on the white wall next to him.

The light.

The light began to fade from Stan's eyes as he saw the manikins slowly creep down the steps with their torturous smiles with each blink. As the manikins encircled Stan, the darkness engulfed him, taking him from this earth, taking the last living soul in Gravity Falls into the depths of oblivion.

Then an alarm rang from Stan's bedroom.

Errrrr.

Errrr.

Errrr.

A sweating Stan awoke with a loud gasp for air, immediately placing his hands on his spotless belly. "Phew, it was only a dream." Stan said, relieved that his nightmare was over. He could hear the sound of giggling and rough-housing upstairs, confirming his suspicious that the previous events he 'experienced' were all but part of a horrifying dream. Sitting up, Stan outstretched his arm to shut his alarm clock off. Then, swinging himself out of bed, Mr. Mystery cracked his back, and stretched his limbs to loosen up his achy muscles and bones. He scratched his chin and made his way over to the bathroom where he shut the door and locked it.

Stan looked into the mirror apathetically as he turned on the faucet and began to run the cold water. Cupping his hands, Stan bent down and began splashing copious amounts of water on his face, trying to wake up and scrub away the rest of that night time terror. Shutting off the faucet, Stan shook his head and dried his damp face on his white muscle shirt.

With a smile, Stan stood up and looked into the mirror.

However, his grin quickly dissipated as Mr. Mystery became paralyzed, as red blood dripped from his face.

Standing behind him was a shattered Old Man McGucket manikin, with his face half missing.

* * *

_**A/N: Hey guys, I know it's been a while since my last update in any of my stories. As much as I wanted to update my ongoing stories, this one-shot is what came to me and was what I could focus on, so I figured something is better than nothing. However, that's not the real reason for this message. I just wanted to let you guys know that I intend to take a one month break, mainly to work on a novel that I have the full intention of writing, but also because of personal reasons. I will be back in May, so you should expect an update then. I do plan on popping up a couple of times during April just to write a few words in case I'm running on fumes with my novel. But that's about it for now. The few of you that regularly message me know that I've been planning on doing this since November, so hopefully it doesn't come as a surprise, and I suppose I've been a month between updates for a while now, so I guess it's nothing new. I guess I'll see y'all in May with more regular updates now that I've completed my 1st internship. Thank you again for your support, reviews, faves, and anything at all, it means the world, even though it might not to others. Keep on rockin' guys!**_


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